Broken Plurals (جَمْع التَّكْسِير) Introduction

Broken plurals work through internal vowel changes and additions. In a 'Sound Plural,' the original singular word stays perfectly intact. You just glue an ending like -ūn or -āt to the back. In a Broken Plural, the 'skeleton' of the word changes. Imagine the word كِتَاب (kitāb) which means book. To make it plural, we do not add a suffix. We change the vowels to get كُتُب (kutub). The basic root letters k-t-b are still there. However, the internal structure has been 'broken' and rearranged. It is very similar to English words like 'man' becoming 'men' or 'goose' becoming 'geese.' The difference is that Arabic does this for a huge number of words. It is not an exception; it is the standard for most non-human nouns. You will often see new letters like أ (alif) or و (waw) inserted into the middle of the word. Don't worry, your brain will start to hear these patterns naturally over time.

1. 1There isn't just one way to break a word. There are dozens of patterns! However, about six patterns do most of the heavy lifting. Think of these as templates. You drop your root letters into a template, and out pops the plural. Here are the most common ones you need for daily life:
2. 2The أَفْعَال (Af‘āl) Pattern: This is a superstar pattern. It is used for many three-letter words. For example, قَلَم (qalam - pen) becomes أَقْلَام (aqlām - pens). You add an 'Alif' at the start and one in the middle.
3. 3The فُعُول (Fu‘ūl) Pattern: This one adds a 'Waw' in the middle. Think of قَلْب (qalb - heart) becoming قُلُوب (qulūb - hearts) or بَيْت (bayt - house) becoming بُيُوت (buyūt - houses).
4. 4The فُتُب (Futub/Fu‘ul) Pattern: This is a very short, punchy pattern. Our friend كِتَاب (kitāb) uses this to become كُتُب (kutub).
5. 5The فِعَال (Fi‘āl) Pattern: This is common for adjectives and some nouns. كَبِير (kabīr - big) becomes كِبَار (kibār) when describing people.
6. 6The طُلاب (Tullāb/Fu‘‘āl) Pattern: Usually used for professions or roles. طَالِب (tālib - student) becomes طُلَّاب (tullāb - students).

You will use Broken Plurals in almost every sentence. If you are ordering at a restaurant, you’ll ask for عَصَائِر (‘asā’ir - juices), not just one juice. If you are in a job interview talking about your تَجَارِب (tajārib - experiences), you are using broken plurals.

• Use them for most non-human objects (chairs, windows, cars).
• Use them for many human roles (students, doctors, leaders).
• Use them when describing groups with adjectives (big, small, new).
• Use them when discussing abstract concepts like 'ideas' (أَفْكَار).

Basically, if you see a noun that isn't a proper name or a specific technical term, there is a 70% chance its plural is broken. It’s like the 'irregular verbs' of English, but much more common and organized.

Sometimes, you need to keep the word 'whole.' Do not use broken plurals for:

• Proper names of people (usually). Most names use the Sound Masculine or Feminine plurals.
• Words ending in ة (ta marbuta) that represent specific feminine professions like مُدَرِّسَة (teacher). These usually take the sound feminine plural مُدَرِّسَات.
• Many modern technical words borrowed from other languages. These often take the sound feminine plural -āt because it is the safest 'default' setting.
• Most participles (words like 'the one who travels' or 'the one who helps'). These prefer the suffix endings. If you are unsure, just remember that humans often get the 'Sound' plural, while things almost always get 'Broken.'

The biggest mistake is the 'Agreement Trap.' In Arabic, all non-human plurals are treated as a 'Single Female.' This sounds crazy, right? But if you say 'The new books,' you must say الكُتُب الجَدِيدَة (al-kutub al-jadīda). Even though 'books' is plural, the adjective 'new' is singular and feminine. It is like a grammar traffic light that changes color unexpectedly. Another mistake is trying to force a Sound Plural ending onto a word that demands a Broken Plural. Don't say بَيْتُون (baytūn); everyone will know what you mean, but they will give you a polite, slightly confused smile. Stick to بُيُوت. Finally, don't stress about memorizing all 30+ patterns. Even native speakers have to look some up occasionally! Focus on the big five patterns first.

It is easy to mix up Broken Plurals with Sound Plurals. Let's compare them. A Sound Masculine Plural (جَمْع المُذَكَّر السَّالِم) is like a trailer hitched to a truck. The truck (the word) stays the same; the trailer (-ūn) just follows. A Broken Plural is like the truck being dismantled and rebuilt into a van.

• Sound: مُسْلِم (Muslim) -> مُسْلِمُونَ (Muslimūn). The root is untouched.
• Broken: رَجُل (Rajul - man) -> رِجَال (Rijāl - men). The root is stretched.

Think of Sound Plurals as 'Add-ons' and Broken Plurals as 'Re-mixes.' Sound plurals are predictable. Broken plurals require a bit more 'ear' for the language.